The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Engines such as diesel engines produce particulate matter (PM) that is filtered from exhaust gas by a PM filter. The PM filter is disposed in an exhaust system of the engine. The PM filter reduces emission of PM that is generated during combustion.
Over time, the PM filter becomes full. During regeneration, the PM may be burned within the PM filter. Regeneration tends to involve heating the PM filter to a combustion temperature of the PM. There are various ways to perform regeneration including modifying engine management, using a fuel burner, using a catalytic oxidizer to increase the exhaust temperature with after injection of fuel, using resistive heating coils, and/or using microwave energy.
Diesel PM combusts when temperatures above a combustion temperature such as 600° C. are attained. The start of combustion causes a further increase in temperature. While spark-ignited engines typically have low oxygen levels in the exhaust gas stream, diesel engines have significantly higher oxygen levels. While the increased oxygen levels make fast regeneration of the PM filter possible, it may also pose some problems.